to orbit the earth

a favorite song of mine is 2000 miles.
a favorite number of mine is 13.
and if you multiply the two together, you'll get close to the number of miles I've ridden on the road in the past 5 years.

contemplating this, I could go many different directions.
such as, wow, that's coast to coast almost 9 times.
or, hmm, that's about 1700 hours in the saddle, or about 350 hours each year.
or, gee, that's about 18 tires I've worn through.

or this: that's somewhere around $12,000 in therapy I've saved myself.

grin.

let's see, what else could this represent,
200 books I didn't have time to read
5 pair of cleats I've had to replace
more tire tubes than I care to think about
10 bottles of chain cleaner
4 bottles of lubricant
at least 200 sunrises I've watched near the top of emigration canyon

and this: my total outdoor miles ridden in 5 years is approximately the distance of a space shuttle orbit around the earth (at an altitude of about 200 miles).
which takes 90 minutes.

this last comparison is quite irrelevant, but fun.
next time I ride, I'll think about the fact that I'm on my second orbit around the earth's circumference.
tee hee.

ps: can you tell I did a 3-hour ride on a spin bike this afternoon? interesting where one's mind will go in such a situation . . .